


New Year's Eve Ball

by AngelGlass



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, New Years, Romance, reconnection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:21:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28449858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelGlass/pseuds/AngelGlass
Summary: Sarah Williams is left at her university for New Year's, still hurt over the betrayal of her cheating ex-boyfriend. She attends a New Year's Eve ball, and who decides to show up but the Goblin King himself? What she finds is that maybe he means more to her than she ever allowed herself to admit. Originally published on FFN on December 30th 2019 - January 2nd 2020
Relationships: Jareth/Sarah Williams
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I actually originally posted this fic in fanfiction.net, and since it's a NYE story, it's as good of time as any to repost it here. I was inspired very much by a few things, for which I will explain in my notes at the bottom of my chapters if you're interested. If there are any weird typos or whatever, know that this was something I wrote a year ago lol and my writing has (hopefully) improved since then.
> 
> As always, I own nothing. All rights belong to the Jim Henson company.

_December 31st, 1999_

Sarah wasn't sure how exactly Ines convinced her to be here.

_Oh yeah,_ she remembered. _I chose to stay behind at the university to run the samples for the lab anyway. And she convinced me to have fun while I'm at it._

Sarah was standing in a beautiful, icy blue, off-the-shoulder tulle dress with a corset in the back. Little butterflies were sewn on the bodice and a few on the skirt. She also sewed on see-through fabric into the back of the dress so that it would flare out, almost like a cape. Her hair was in a half up, half down look with fake blue flowers as a tiara.

When she showed a photo of the dress to her stepmother, Karen got a kick out of seeing it. She commented on how it looked like a mature version of the green Celtic dress with the pink flowers that Sarah used to wear to the park. She and Karen could now laugh at her bratty behavior now that they were close.

Her mother, Linda, was absolutely delighted that her daughter was good at sewing both with her hands and a sewing machine. Working as an actress in theater meant modifying your own costumes at times, and she taught Sarah well. In fact, it was she who made Sarah that green dress that she wore so often to the park.

"Sarah!"

Sarah turned to see Ines and her husband dressed up as Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip. "I'm so glad you came!"

"Well like you said, excuse to dress up?" She hugged her friend. "Hey Chris," she said to Ines's husband.

"Hi Sarah." He greeted. "Woah, that's a cool dress!"

"I told you, Sarah's talented." Ines inspected Sarah's dress. "Man, how much was everything?"

"$20, tops!" Sarah said with pride. "Dress was probably someone's prom dress left at a thrift store, the fabric for the sash also from said thrift store, beads and butterflies I had happened to have because of my Mom's extra stuff, shoes I owned already, and I just got these flowers and a wire from the Dollar Store to make the crown. Most of the hard part was the labor."

"I love it!" Ines beamed. "Now that we are at a Fairy Tale Ball, have you found a Prince Charming?"

The ball was held for senior citizens, a chance for them to enjoy themselves on a winter night sponsored by a few fraternities and sororities at the University of Washington as a part of their volunteering or community service initiatives. The theme was "Fairy Tale Ball," hence her dress.

She was a grad student in the microbiology department and ran samples as these experiments were time sensitive. She went home for the holidays but came back just this morning. Since she was around, Ines, an associate professor in psychology and her closest friend here, invited her to the ball as a volunteer. Sarah's "job" was to take a shift in welcoming the guests at the bottom of the grand stairs.

UW was an old university, at least for America and especially the west coast as it was founded in 1861. Its architecture was grand and beautiful. They decided to host the ball in their most popular library: the Suzzallo library.

When you walked inside the building, it felt like you were in a castle, not a university's library.

First, you encountered busts of philosophers and professors. Then you got to the grand staircase. It was truly something out of a fairy tale book, spiraling up the granite steps and up to the place where the ball would be taken place: the reading room. High stained glass ceilings. Candles flickering from the tops. It was beautiful in the day or the night but somehow, seeing it at night made it all the more magical. The tall, endless shelves of books added to the mystery of the room, as if one was dancing in the Beast's castle from the Beauty and the Beast.

Right outside of the library (aka ballroom) were tables with games to play or food to eat as well for those who did not want it. At midnight, when the new year/decade/millennium would come, they would have a count down and rain confetti. What Sarah liked about this ball was the smooth jazz or dance music instead of eardrum-bashing music. Not that they were bad, to each their own but she often had migraines from them saturating her senses.

Sarah rolled her eyes at Ines with a laugh. "Hardly. This is a ball for senior citizens."

"And there's some cute guys here too. And I don't mean the undergrads of course, I mean TAs and other professors and whatnot." Ines winked. "Come on Sarah. You look gorgeous in that dress, it would be a shame to not at least sneak in a sweet dance with someone. Or hook up." She winked. "Maybe you'll even find someone!"

"And you know I'm not looking for someone _that_ soon." Sarah snapped. "Especially after _him_."

Ines shrank back a little, a bit embarrassed at making Sarah upset.

Sarah shook her head. "I'm sorry, that was really awful of me. I know you just want to see me happy. And for the record, I wouldn't be against a casual, one time fling with someone."

Ines turned around, a sad smile on her face. "I know you are. I'm sorry if I acted like I wanted you to rush into things, I don't. It's just that he took so much of your time and love away just to cheat on you in the end. A terrible coward."

"Yeah wish he would have grown a pair. I can't believe he's been basically living with another woman for six months. Six months!" She said in a high pitched whisper. "And she's still staying with him. Good god. This is why long distance is a bad idea."

"Hey, not always." Ines wagged her finger like a scolding mother. "You know Chris and I were a long distance couple."

"Okay fine, but you two weren't long distance for three years." Sarah felt stupider and stupider. "I know you're trying to help but I'm just reminded by how stupid I am to give my true self to two guys already who just threw it out the window."

"Hey." Ines put her hands on Sarah's shoulders. "Don't you dare say that. You are someone who wants truth, who is sensitive but also badass as fuck. Don't let him take you down. Don't let him steal that beautiful part from you. Don't be someone else because you're scared of getting hurt. I know it's new. It's raw. It's hurting. But please don't let it dim your light."

Sarah took slow breaths and looked at Ines. "Thank you. That means a lot. Sorry about that. I got carried away."

"Don't be." Ines smiled at her. "You should feel how you feel but like I said, don't let him take it from you. You dealt with the breakup pretty well actually."

"Yeah, I guess." Sarah shrugged. "I have to go downstairs, take my shift to welcome the guests. You and Chris have a good time."

"And don't forget to have a dance with someone!" Ines said again. "Just a dance. That's it. It's not like you'll get attached to anyone. From a simple dance."

Sarah bit her bottom lip, a memory entering her head of a certain man who did dance with her when she was 16...

_There's such a sad love_

_Deep in your eyes_

_A kind of pale jewel..._

"Sarah?"

Sarah was shaken out of her thoughts. "Yeah?"

"Chris and I are going to meet someone else. Do you want to come along?"

Sarah shook her head. The last thing she wanted to do was to third wheel Ines and Chris. "No thanks, I have to go and greet people by the entrance anyway."

"Don't forget time have fun though!" Ines called.

This was the volunteer shift she had signed up for. Sarah stood by the stairs, directing the elderly on their way up or to the elevators if they so wished, but nearly everyone who wasn't in a wheelchair wanted to take the stairs. It was beautiful after all. She and other volunteers took photos for them and made sure no one was hurt even though their care takers were with them.

It did feel nice actually, to help others. Many of the older gentlemen commented on how pretty she looked with sincerity. It made her feel good. One man even tipped his hat to her. An elderly lady was excited that Sarah's dress had the same color that she asked for a photo. It made her almost forget her own sadness.

When her "shift" was almost over, she went to get a drink of water before going back up to the party. Maybe she could find Ines or a few friends with play games with. Or find a hot guy to flirt with, to get her confidence back up. Nothing serious. She wasn't ready to date anyone new after her heart had been broken so viciously.

Her heart was still very much scarred and tender. But she was determined to not lower her standards of a man who was honest, who was kind, who would treat her well. But who would care for her enough to do so?

**"I've brought you, a gift."**

**"I'll place the moon within your heart."**

**"Everything you wanted, I have done."**

**"I'll place the sky within your eyes."**

**"I move the stars for no one!"**

**"I'm exhausted from living up to your expectations of me."**

**"I'll paint you mornings of gold, spin you valentine evenings."**

**"Everything I've done, I've done for you."**

**"I'll leave my love between the stars."**

**"Look what I am offering you. _Your_ dreams!" **

**"But I'll be there for you. As the world falls down..."**

Her eyes pricked with emotions and desires welling from deep inside her heart that she had tried to seal away. She wished that he was here, that he meant all he said. Her head spun from a new migraine and she lost balance.

Just as she was about to fall backwards to the ground, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist gently and hoisted her back up. She vaguely realized that she was taken to a chair, her head still spinning a bit so she put her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands.

"Thank you." She said to whoever was helping her. "I think I was a bit overcome by my thoughts and lost balance."

"You're welcome, Precious."

Precious?

Wait. That accent.

That low voice.

She snapped her head up, but regretted it as it was still spinning.

"W-What?"

"Hold still, Sarah."

Sarah stared wide eyed at the person who came to sit in front of her, his hand on her forehead.

The Goblin King.


	2. Chapter 2

Sarah was about to speak but felt a sort of cooling sensation on her forehead where he was touching her. It spread from her forehead throughout her head and a bit through her body, but not unpleasantly so.

When he moved his hand away, she realized the spinning from the budding migraine was gone.

She also noticed that this was the first time that he touched her without gloves on.

"How do you feel?" He flexed his fingers a bit, stretching them as he leaned back in his own chair, concern in his eyes.

"I feel... great." Sarah said, still unnerved by him but not wanting to be rude. "Wow, thank you."

She couldn't help but stare at his fingers. They were so slender and oh so long. Musician's hands, her Mother would say. She felt her cheeks redden when he combed them through his white-blonde hair, resisting the urge to replace his fingers with her own. After all, he was the one who fucking launched her from being a curious teen to a woman with sexual desires. All by just being the sexy motherfucker that he was.

Jareth saw her cheeks redden and smirked. "Enjoying the view, Sarah?" He angled himself so that she could see more of him.

Sarah was _very_ much enjoying the view. He was wearing a white outfit with black boots. The collar of his top was light blue and there were golden leaves sewn into the cuffs of his shirt. He looked absolutely regal, taking her breath away.

Oh. And his pants. The white absolutely outlined his... Crown Jewels... much more than his usual black. Jeez. There's no way he was that endowed, was he?

Sarah crossed one leg over the other, smiling as well. She made sure to look up and down his body, very slowly. "As much as I did when we met 13 years ago."

She was now an adult. There was no shame in acknowledging her attraction to him unlike the young teen she had once been who would have been mortified to have even consider it.

Jareth's eyebrows raised, his tongue curling around a sharp tooth. "Well, this is news to me."

Sarah leaned forward. She could see his eyes dilate as she bit her bottom lip flirtatiously. "Was it? I had the impression you knew exactly what you were doing."

She got up and tossed her hair to one side of her neck, letting it reveal the delicate skin on her neck. "Thank you for helping me, Goblin King. I appreciated it."

She made sure to swing her hips sensually as she walked past him, smirking once he couldn't see her face anymore.

* * *

Jareth was absolutely baffled.

What the fuck was that?

One moment, they had been flirting, the next she just... gets up and leaves?

Why didn't she ask why he was there? Why didn't she get overjoyed or even annoyed that he came to her side?

Now, for most people who didn't pay attention to him, he'd let them go. Why bother with them? They didn't want to be with him anyway. He would just turn his attention to someone who did.

Except Sarah.

He went insane trying to get her to notice him, to do as she wanted. He didn't even know why, it was just who she was. How their personalities fit.

He had a mind to let her go but damn him, he was too curious. She looked gorgeous in that dress with the way she swayed her hips and her little lip bite was driving him insane.

He caught up to her, not blocking her way but she couldn't pass him without noticing him. "Don't you have a question you'd like to ask me?"

_FUCK_. He said to himself. _You really couldn't have thought of a better thing to say? Good job, Jareth._

Sarah folded her arms in thought. She then tapped her cheek with her finger. "Hmm. Oh! How did you do that?"

"Do what?" He grinned.

"Make my migraine go away." She clarified. "How does the magic work?" She smiled, knowing exactly what he had meant but wanted to tease him.

Jareth frowned. That was NOT the question that he meant. At all.

But he would humor her. Just as he always had.

"That's a bit more complicated to explain, and even my kind don't totally understand." He answered. "Magic is all around life. It is not unlike the science that you have learned. We just are able to manipulate the world a bit differently than how humans would. It takes energy to do magic just as it takes energy to do simple tasks that you do."

Sarah was fascinated. She wanted to know more, but maybe in due time.

"But you knew that, didn't you?" He unfolded his arms and put one arm over her head, leaning in. "You have contact with all my goblin subjects plus a few extra, after all."

Sarah didn't look at all nervous or intimidated. A bit unsure and wary, but not at all concerned. "No, you're not wrong about that." She even moved in closer, a smile on both their faces.

"So how about you ask me what you actually want to ask." He tilted his head so that his lips were just a breath away from hers. His voice dropped low. "You and I both know what it is."

Sarah felt very, very bold tonight. She put a hand on his chest, sliding down to his stomach. She could feel his stomach muscles clench beneath her fingers in anticipation...

...And then she walked off.

Once again, Jareth was left astonished.

"How about instead of making me ask, you just tell me the answer?" She winked. "You're the one who brought it up, after all."

Half of Jareth was infuriated. He wanted her to ask him, to admit what she felt inside. To acknowledge that even though they had seen each other in 13 years, that he meant something to her.

But the other half was impressed and delighted. She was absolutely his match. She surprised him at every turn.

Clever girl. Well, he could make this even.

"I could, but I did help you from making a rather embarrassing fall, did I not?" He reminded her.

"So you helped me, expecting to get something in return instead of doing it from the goodness of your own heart?" Sarah clicked her tongue, still grinning. "I didn't realize I owed you anything."

Sarah saw his lips purse as he tried to think of an answer. Oh, how good it felt to be able to battle with someone else this way. She looked up and down him, casually licking her lips. "Besides, would you really want to waste a favor on me saying something you already know? I could think of much better uses to cash in the return of a favor than that."

Jareth looked interested in that. "Now, that's an offer I can't refuse."

"I still get to say no if it's something that out there." She said, making sure. "It can't be something I can't do or something I'd feel uncomfortable doing." She raised her eyebrows.

Jareth inclined his head. "My Lady, believe me when I say that as much of a trickster I can be, I am a gentleman and would never think of coercing anyone to do anything they aren't comfortable with in the sense that you are suggesting."

He offered his arm to her. "Now, shall I escort you to the ball like the gentleman that I am?"

Sarah melted. She always had a soft sport for gentlemen especially ones who wouldn't dare touch her if she didn't want it. "I'd be honored, Your Majesty."

"Call me Jareth. You know my name, might as well use it." He tried to not stare at her eyes for too long. She was so beautiful and so enchanting that he was almost afraid she would hypnotize him.

The enchanting lights and the winter sky behind the gorgeous windows filtered in with the moon made her feel like a princess walking up those steps.

Wait. No, not a princess.

A queen.

They got to the top of the stairs. "Alright, Jareth." She moved closer to him, pulling him to a small table, sitting down. "So, how have you been these past 13 years?"

Jareth interlocked his fingers together. "I've been alright. You know, goblins running around. Chickens in my throne room. Running a kingdom. A few runners, of course."

"Anyone win?" She asked.

"I think you know, Sarah." He said in a low voice, staring at her with amazing intensity. "Of course not. Just you."

"Hmm." She tried to sound uninterested at that little tidbit. "Well, I suppose that means a few young ladies for you to try to trick into eating peaches to lose."

Jareth gave a small laugh at that. "Yes, well, you are one of the few I've ever given an enchanted peach to."

Sarah couldn't help it. She let out a little gasp, their little teasing game forgotten. "Why?"

"Because you were progressing quickly. You were winning, so I gave the peach as a distraction. It worked, am I correct?"

"Yeah, until I broke out of it." She shook her head with a tiny smile. "I can't say it really worked then."

"It was quite infuriating, you beating me at my own game." He didn't look too happy at that but wasn't bitter either. As if he just accepted it to be his fate. "It was meant to put you to sleep, to show a fantasy, something you desired that made you not want to leave. You would have woken up by the end of the thirteenth hour."

"A fantasy?" Sarah looked to the side. Her eyebrows knitted and her heart sank. "So... the whole thing was in my head?"

"Correct, Precious." The volume in his voice dropped as he observed her more closely.

Sarah wasn't sure why she felt this dreaded knot in her stomach. "So nothing was real?"

Jareth paused a bit, not answering her for a moment. When he did speak, he was so quiet that Sarah almost couldn't hear him. "I didn't say that."

"You said it was all in my head." Her voice was strained.

"That doesn't mean it wasn't real."

Sarah felt the knot disappear as she looked into his eyes. That didn't answer everything, but what she saw on his face told her that yes, he absolutely did know what happened in that crystal dream.

That he was there. That they had danced.

Jareth changed the topic. "And you, my dear? How have you been these past 13 years?"

Sarah shrugged. "It's been good."

"Just good?" He tapped his fingers lazily on the table. "I heard from my subjects that you are quite wonderful in your schooling. So much so, that you're not just a scholar but are pursuing very competitive educational programs in one of the best universities to be where you are today. I'd say that's a success."

Sarah tilted her head, touched. "Well, yes I have. I guess it doesn't feel like that sometimes, since I've seen my own failures than successes."

Jareth was sincere in his smile. "Tell me about your studies."

He really seemed very interested. And this was a chance for her to ask about him too.

"Only if you agree to tell me about your life, Jareth." She grabbed some non alcoholic apple cider. She didn't want to be drunk with him, preferring to keep all her wits about her. "It's only fair."

"Ah yes, your obsession with being fair. I recall." He winked as he sipped his drink.

"Well, I try to be fair. But I know that sometimes, life just isn't. It's just the way it is, whether you have the basis for comparison or not." She poked his shoulder. "Some very wise person taught me that."

"Oh? Did he now?" He preened at the praise. "Do tell me more, Precious."

"What, about my life or the very wise person who so obviously likes to have his ego fed?" She raised an eyebrow teasingly.

He put a hand to his heart, gasping. "You wound me, Sarah." He put his hand dramatically over his head.

Sarah liked this side of him. The teasing, gentle side laced with wit and sarcasm. She didn't get to see a lot of it the last time she was in the Underground. Which made sense. It wasn't like she had much time to get to know him anyway.

"Well, in high school, I found that I had a knack for the sciences. I liked it so much, I pursued biology and chemistry in college. I wanted to go to medical school for a while, really wanting to use that skill to help others. But after working a few years after getting my four year bachelor's degree, I decided to get a PhD instead."

"And why's that?" He questioned.

"I didn't like working in the healthcare field as much." She confessed. "I volunteered and shadowed some doctors. I didn't like it as much as doing research. Plus medical school is so long and you don't get paid. Not that I don't get paid well as a student, but at least I'm not playing tuition like I would if I was in medical school."

"And what sort of research do you do?"

She explained to him the projects that they had to do, her day to day job. Jareth really did care to ask her the meaning of every detail, from the safety precautions that she had to take in her protective equipment to how the machines worked in analyzing the samples. Sarah tried to explain it the best she could. Lucky for her, he was well versed in the human world even if he didn't know many things so it was easy enough to explain to him. She also explained about how she was a TA as well so she had to be on top of her game with teaching classes.

"That's difficult work." He said when she told him that she had to do presentations quite often. "I resent having to give speeches and such in meetings. Talking about your field of research to experts who ask you difficult questions is no easy task. You seem to do it so well."

"Yeah that's what it seems like." She scoffed a little. "First time I presented, I threw up afterwards. Anxiety is real. But I've learned to manage it."

"Indeed it is." Jareth agreed. "How did you manage it?"

"My family was a big help in stress relief." She thought fondly of them all. "Called my mom at two in the morning before my first presentation! She helped a lot with nerves. It's truly not the same as being an actress, but she gave me so much comfort and tips. My dad was sympathetic but had no idea what to say. Karen, my stepmom, was so kind that she sent me a care package with my favorite snacks. Toby reminded me that I worked hard to get there and that I would be fine."

"I'm glad to hear that." Jareth eyes lit up when she mentioned her brother. "How is young Toby? You seem very close to him."

"Despite the age difference, yeah. We talk fairly often on the phone. I miss him. He's a teenager now." She put a hand on his knee. "I appreciate and love him very much. Thank you for showing me that. Even if I was a huge brat about it."

Before she could move her hand away, Jareth gingerly picked her hand with both of his, kissing her knuckles. "You should give yourself more credit, Precious. But I'm glad that I could be of help. Always at your service."

The didn't let go of her hand, but he did hold it loosely enough that she could easily pull it away from him if she wanted.

To his delight, she did not.

"And what about your family?" She used her free hand to trace the lines of his fingers, awed at his beauty. "What are they like?"

Jareth felt goosebumps all over his body at her touch. Mmm. It felt wonderful to have her touching him like this. And just on his hand! Imagine if she touched him elsewhere...

That combined with the way the light touched her face to give it a beautiful glow made his heart pound in his chest. Oh how he wanted to kiss her until those lips were bruised from his passion.

"My family?" He struggled to remember how to even speak, his mind too distracted by her beauty. He tried to clear his brain. "Since becoming king, I am not as close to my family as I have been in the past. But I love them all very much. My mother, father, and sisters."

He recounted her one such tale where his sisters chased him around the tree and teased him until he cried. Then they gave him sweets to make sure he didn't tell on them to their parents.

"You poor thing." She laughed as she said it.

"You don't sound very sympathetic." He puckered his lips out in feigned sadness. His arm came up to rest around the back of her chair.

"You got treats, so it evens out."

They stared at each other's eyes. Jareth's bare hand touched Sarah's shoulder, making her shiver at the feel of him. His finger traced towards her collar bone, the skin reddening. "I suppose so."

Sarah swallowed, trying to not get distracted by him too much. It was difficult to when her body was craving him. "So, how did you become king?"

"My uncle." He said a bit absently. "It isn't passed straight down from parent to child. Sometimes it's not even kept within the family. How the next king or queen is chosen is a bit more complicated but in time, I will tell you. I am also the youngest to have ever ruled."

"How old were you?" Sarah felt a little nervous at his answer.

"At the time, I was 105." Jareth watched her closely.

Her eyes bugged. "105? How old are you now?"

Jareth moved his arm away from her. He couldn't bear it if she moved away from him first. "307."

Sarah leaned back in her chair, trying to process this.

That meant that he was older than the country she lived in.

Jareth's eyes got hard, trying to protect the softness that was behind them. "I see that it bothers you."

Sarah wasn't sure what the right way to respond was. Her mouth seemed to be doing most of the talking. "No, it's just a lot to take in. That's all." She smiled to show that it really wasn't anything that bothered her too much.

"You readily accept magic in your life but my age is different?" He loosened up a bit at her smile.

"I have seen magic work but you're young looking. It's just not an easy concept to grasp. Because we are so limited by time." Her voice got wispy, her eyes distant. As if contemplating how time has passed. "It's why I try to enjoy every moment."

Jareth caressed her shoulder again, seeing how she wasn't feeling anything abhorrent. "Spending time with humans has made me see time differently too. It's finite for you all. I think many humans can forget it but when you've seen deaths as I have, it's hard to not take it seriously. To want to forgive. To love. To shine oh so bright. Sometimes that can also lead to people doing too many things and not quite enjoying it all or savoring it as they should in an attempt to fill their lives as much as they can."

Sarah was smitten. She always loved hearing wise words come from someone, and when the object of her first real romantic and sexual desire was sitting next to her, it was hard to not feel something.

"Do you like being king?" She asked. "And spending time with humans?"

Jareth thought about it for a moment. "Yes and no. When I was younger, I think I'd rather sing in soho or something. I'm very artistic. But my thing in life is to be the Goblin King. Someone needed to do the job and my uncle was retiring. He went through some trauma in his life and needed a replacement. I was a good match in terms of magical and governing abilities. I do care for my goblins but keeping them in line all the time is near impossible."

Sarah couldn't help but laugh a little. She had gotten to know many of his subjects throughout the years and she knew that he couldn't control a child being taken. "I know. You're a good king, even if you kick goblins around and yell at them."

"To be fair, they're into that." He took another sip of the cider. "They find it hilarious when I do kick them."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."

"And you're beautiful." He wiggled his eyebrows, sending Sarah into another fit of laughter.

"Good job at deviating from the subject." She grabbed a plate of strawberries dipped in chocolate. "Care for one?" She held out one by the stem.

Jareth, instead of taking it like a normal person, leaned forward and took a bite straight from her hand.

"Yes I was deviating, but I absolutely mean it." He held one strawberry to her, daring her with his eyes to do what he did. "Won't you have a taste too?"

Sarah plucked the strawberry from his hand with her fingers. He looked a bit disappointed until she kissed his fingers.

The moment her lips touched his fingers, she felt something course through her body. She knew it was magic. And not just any magic, but the magic that tied him to her and her to him by the power of a wish she made 13 years ago.

Jareth felt it too. His face betrayed it all.

"Well, thank you." She said when her senses came back. But her recent break up was still tender and new. "I do appreciate it."

Jareth gave her a strange look. "You don't seem to really mean that."

"No I do." She reassured him. "Being told I'm beautiful from someone who looks like you?" She gestured vaguely to him, but her teasing had died down by quite a bit.

Jareth looked deeply in her eyes. "Why aren't you with your family this time of year? You say you are close to them but aren't with them the most important days of the year."

He realized that maybe he shouldn't have asked. There was a chill in the air surrounding Sarah. Her lips were in a straight line, the muscles in her hands were tense, and her eyes were drawn.

"I wanted to, believe me." She said quietly. "But I had a change of plans."

"Plans?" He asked.

"Last month, right before Thanksgiving, I found out that my boyfriend of 3 years had been cheating on me." Her voice came out sharp. Jareth could tell that she had definitely given that man a piece of her mind, and boy was he glad that he wasn't at that other end.

"He and I are - were in a long distance relationship." It still felt weird to use past tense in describing him, even if she no longer had those kinds of feelings for him. "Sometimes I would go to visit him in Norway, that's where he's from. Sometimes he would visit me. But for the past year, we haven't been talking on the phone as often. I still thought things were going well, just that maybe he had gotten busy and his job made it difficult. International calling isn't cheap. My relationship with my now ex had been strained for so long. Nothing bad per se, but a bit of distance. We had worked it out well for a long time, then I found out that him not talking to me as often was because he had moved in with another woman. He officially moved in a month ago but was going to and from her place for the past 6 months. His friend found out and told me. I just wish he hadn't betrayed me like that. I was so faithful, I refused any advances from anyone, you know? I'm just really dumb I guess."

Jareth surprised her by putting his hands on her face. "Listen to me, Sarah. You did nothing wrong. I know you know that. But you are not naive. You are not stupid to have expected someone that you… that you loved…"

His voice cracked a little but he kept going. "That you loved to have waited for you, to be faithful to you when you both had an agreement for that. You did everything right. And besides, if he couldn't see the magnificent gem that you are, then it is his loss. For you are a Precious Jewel and he lost out on a chance to be with someone who is spectacular."

She wanted to believe what he said, but she couldn't. Maybe in time she would, but she was still healing. "Yeah, I don't know about spectacular. If I was then why wouldn't he be honest with me?" She looked at Jareth sadly.

"Because, he's a selfish coward." Jareth's rage was barely hidden. If Sarah wasn't totally sure that it wasn't directed at her, she would be scared shitless at the angry glow in his eyes. "I don't tolerate people who don't have honor."

Sarah shrugged. "Thank you. He said that too, but I don't know. I just don't feel like I'm really anyone as special as you say."

Jareth huffed. "As much as I hate to admit it, I would like to remind you that you cannot be ordinary and be the only person to have defeated my labyrinth." He gestured around them. "But even if you did not, look at yourself! You're at one of the most prestigious universities in the entire world. That is not something any ordinary person can do. And besides, no one deserves to be treated the way he treated you. No one deserves that betrayal. You were faithful. You had love in your heart. I am sorry that he did that to you."

He held his arms out in invitation.

Sarah took it. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he held her, just being there for her. It felt really nice to have her problems melt away with him. She didn't care who was there, who was watching. Normally she cared but not tonight. Tonight, she need someone to show her that she mattered.

"It's why I'm here, I thought that if I could just stay here, then I could just try to work until I forgot about it." She mumbled. "One of my other coworkers was supposed to stay but she has little kids so I thought that I'd let her spend time with them." She pulled away from him. "Thank you for saying those nice things. It means more than I can say."

"You are very welcome, Precious." He squeezed her hand. "You deserve so much goodness."

There was some commotion coming from the ballroom. They looked into the ballroom, where older and younger couples were dancing. Some were terrible. Some were amazing, but one thing was for sure. All of them were having a good time.

Sarah smirked. "That same ex hated cheesy romantic things. He would never dance with me. I guess it was good that things ended because I always tried to learn about his interests while he hardly remembered mine near the end of our relationship."

She wasn't sure why she even said that. She wasn't the kind of person who would hint to men that she wanted something.

Jareth, however, had a big smile on his face. "Relationships take compromises. It's a shame he didn't indulge in things that you loved once in a while."

He stood up and offered his hand, his eyes sparkling. "May I have this dance, Sarah?"

Sarah felt goosebumps all over her body. Here he was, the Goblin King asking for a dance from her. No crowd of people leering at her. No feeling out of place. No hiding or seeking him. No women clamoring over her to sandwich him in between them.

But still, she hesitated. "You don't have to, you know. Please don't pity me."

She meant to sound strong and sure, but her eyes betrayed how hurt she was.

Jareth still held his hand out to her. "I don't have to, but I want to. And I don't pity you, Sarah. I know what it's like to be pitied and I won't pity you of all people. Won't you finish the dance we started all those years ago?"

Sarah looked from his hand to his face. He was still the fearless, strong, confident Goblin King. But he was also nervous.

She reached her hand out to put in his. Jareth smiled and pulled her up. He placed an arm around her waist, his hand on her hip and his other hand still holding onto hers.

Just as the last song ended, another came through the speakers. Sarah's eyes widened when she realized what song it was.

Jareth bowed. "My Lady."

He took her in his arms and lead her through the dance, singing for her.

"There's such a sad love…"

Sarah was absolutely mesmerized by him. By his touch. By his gentle eyes and strong arms. By everything about him. But most of all, by the way he was looking at her. He looked into her eyes, peering into her soul and letting her peer into his.

To her, no one was around. No one was watching them or commenting on their good dancing. It was just them, in each other's arms.

She could have been dancing in the stars for all she knew. She only felt his hand on her waist and his eyes gazing at her softly.

She had been in churches. To weddings. To temples. And nothing was as sacred as this space between her and Jareth. This was something pure, something real. Something to be forever cherished in the deepest parts of her heart.

As king, Jareth had danced with many. It was polite and didn't mean much. He danced with his sisters. His friends. Lovers. But tonight, with Sarah, something was different. It wasn't just how he felt for her, but something entirely out of his control. As if the very stars were bringing their souls together.

When the dance ended, Sarah gave a curtsey and he a bow. She hugged him and gave him a squeeze. "Thank you. For making me feel like I'm worth it, even for a moment."

Jareth hadn't expected for the dance to be like this. He was being pulled in more than he wanted, but he wasn't going to say no if she was going to be close to him.

"For you, Precious, I will grant whatever you wish." He resisted the urge to kiss her head.

She looked up, her chin on his chest. "I never forgot that song, you know. It's beautiful. Who wrote it?"

Jareth shivered and caressed her hair. There was so much hope in her eyes. "Precious-"

"ATTENTION!" Some person was holding the microphone. "Thank you, everyone for being here and making this Fairy Tale Ball possible!"

There were polite claps all around as he read off the names of the sponsors and the organizations that set this up. "I hope that you all had a good time with the games, the dance, and the food provided. That you have enjoyed the last day of this millennium. That the year 2000 will treat you well. The countdown starts now!"

Lights flashed from a blackboard.

_30 seconds until midnight._

Jareth had his arm around her waist. "Precious?"

"Hmm?" She put a hand on his chest.

"I think I know how you can repay me for helping you when you fell." He leaned closer to her.

_20 seconds._

"Oh? How?" She rubbed her nose with his, her eyes sparkling.

Jareth pulled her closer, taking her hand in his.

_15 seconds._

"Won't you grant me the last kiss of this year and first kiss of the new year?" He placed her hand on his heart. "I would very much like that."

Sarah looked at the hand on his heart. She slid it up to his cheek. Jareth could hardly breathe.

_10 seconds._

"Yes." She whispered in his ear. The crowed started to count down. "Not just the first kiss of the new year. But the new century. The new millennium."

"It is an honor, Precious, that you would allow me to touch your lips with mine." He leaned in, his eyes closing.

_3... 2... 1..._

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Everyone cheered, glitter and confetti raining down on everyone.

Jareth and Sarah hardly noticed. Their lips were seeking out the other's, tasing and pushing in.

It broke a dam in them. The sexual tension was far too great to ignore. Fire was confusing though their bodies as their hands roamed all over each other, Sarah gasping as his hands moved over her breasts, sending jolts of pleasure down to her core, making her wet. Jareth growled when her fingers lightly passed over his growing erection.

This was too much. They had been talking, had been teasing each other the whole night.

They needed this.

Now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have read amazing stories that portray Jareth very well as a tricky fae who finds loopholes behind words and whatnot. But this is a short story, so I'm kinda skipping out on that. I'm too lazy to make him be sneaky here. My reasoning is because of his feelings for Sarah, that he wants to be honest and true.
> 
> This will be explained later but in my mind, Jareth has decided that while he's going to be witty and sarcastic, he won't ever hurt anyone or coerce them into physical affection/sex.
> 
> So for anyone who is curious, part of the reason I'm writing this story is 1) yes I wanted to write a holiday one but didn't have time so I made one for New Year's and 2) like Sarah, I just got out of a 3 year relationship with someone who cheated on me. It sucks. I don't do self inserts, and while Sarah's situation is actually really different from my own, I decided to at least base it off of mine. It feels really cathartic to write it, actually.
> 
> All the stuff about the university is real. The stuff about staying behind to run experiments during the holidays is also real because when you deal with stuff like bacteria or cell culture or even samples from animal or human trials for diseases, you cannot wait. Someone is there running samples and making sure that everything is working. I personally didn't have to stay behind as I'm only an undergrad but I've totally seen people at my job do that.
> 
> And as always, thank you for taking your time and taking a chance at reading my stories when I know there's so many good ones out there. Lots of love to you all!


	3. Chapter 3

Sarah wanted to not be here, with all of these people. She wanted to be in her room, fucking Jareth until she was so sore she could hardly walk.

"I wish I was in my room." She moaned.

She found her back against the wall. Jareth was still passionately kissing her, one hand on her hip and the other kneading her breast. "I want you." He pushed one thigh in between hers.

Sarah realized that it was very dark. And quiet.

She pulled away from him. "Wait, where are we?"

Jareth grinned and sucked in her neck, making her moan. "Why, you wished to go to your room. Are you against me transporting you here?"

Jareth purred at the sight of her, her lips parted in mid pant and her dress coming down, the top of her breasts exposed. He licked them and his hair tickled her neck.

"No, not at all." She gasped. "Fuck me, Jareth. Just fuck me."

He passed his hand on her back, the corset loosening on its own. Her dress fell to the floor, revealing her glorious curves in a white bra and panties.

"As you wish, My Lady." He kissed her lips again.

He rolled his wrist, a crystal in his hand. He let go of it, the orb glowing.

Sarah was momentarily distracted by how pretty it was. "Wow. What's it for?"

"So that I can see you." He nipped at the top of her breasts. "So that I can see and worship every curve of your delicious body."

She never thought of her body as something worthy of worshipping. She was a confident woman, but not without her insecurities.

Jareth was true to his word. He took his shirt off and pressed himself into her.

"I need you." She scraped her fingernails on his chest before leaning in to suck on his nipples. "I need you inside of me."

"Mmm a woman who knows what she wants." He stepped out of his boots. "In due time, my lady."

He pushed his hips into hers, letting his erection touch her through her clothes. Sarah pushed back. It was getting more and more difficult for him to hold back with the way her lips and body were begging.

Sarah undid her bra. Jareth held her breasts and sucked her nipples like a hungry animal. Sarah felt his hand slip down her panties.

Fuck.

"Oh my god!" She fucked his long fingers. "Oh that feels so good!"

"You're so wet." Jareth groaned in pleasure. He took his fingers out of her and tasted them. "And so delicious."

Sarah couldn't take it. She reached forward and undid his pants. Jareth jerked in suspense especially when she grabbed ahold of his cock and started to pump it up and down. Jareth almost collapsed, bracing himself against the wall in front of her as she kept pleasuring him.

"You like that?" She purred in his ear. "You're so fucking hard. Be inside of me."

She let the tip of his cock push inside just a little, letting her wetness coat it.

"Woman, you're going to be the end of me!" He groaned as he pushed in. It was an erotic feeling and sight, to see him disappear inside her lips.

Sarah felt so full with him in her.

And she wanted more.

Jareth grabbed her hips and hoisted her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he fucked her against the wall. Sarah held on tightly as he moved in and out of her wetness. She had never felt so good as she did right then.

He moved to her bed, still fucking her. Sarah released herself from him, making him cry out in frustration and her center aching for more.

She turned around and got on her knees, pushing her ass up in the air. She got a pillow and threw it under her so that she could maintain her balance. She wiggled her bottom. "Take me like this."

Jareth didn't even reply. She just felt his cock slamming into her. She arched her back as he fucked her recklessly. His hand came to play with her clit and she played with her nipples, heightening her senses.

She could feel him getting close. His movements were more erratic and his cock got harder inside of her. "Cum in me, Jareth."

Jareth moved his fingers. "You first. I want to feel you around me."

He folded over her, kissing and nipping at her neck.

Passion built in them. The heat was climbing up high, higher. Above the highest mountain. To the moon, the stars even.

And together, they reached the point of no return.

It was too much for Sarah. She screamed and convulsed, throwing her head back in ecstasy. Jareth couldn't even see her face and even he thought that this was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

He exploded inside of her with a roar. He thrust harder, feeling his hot fluids leave him and enter her welcoming body.

Sarah loved the feel of him flowing into her. She fell, exhausted with him on top. She reached behind her to hold his back and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck and shoulders.

They both made a sound of disappointment when they pulled apart.

He just held her in his arms as she laid her head on his chest. "You are one magnificent, sexy little creature."

Sarah wrapped her arms around him. She didn't mean to give so much physical affection to him, but she couldn't help it. He made her feel safe. He made her feel beautiful. He made her feel worthy of having high standards.

"You too," Was all she could say. "I'm glad you came."

"You mean to the ball or inside of you?" He winked.

Sarah roared with laughter as he kissed her neck. "You're awful."

"And you are wonderful, Precious." He pulled her close.

He could feel that she was tired, but was trying to stay awake for his sake. As if she didn't want it to end.

He kissed her forehead again, using magic to make her feel very sleepy.

"Will you stay with me?" She cuddled next to him. Jareth held her back, glad that she felt so safe next to him. Her hand came to rest on his heart. "Just for a while?"

"Absolutely." He buried his face in her neck as she fell asleep.

To him, nothing felt better than to have this beautiful woman next to him. He held her sweetly, absolutely entranced by her. He kissed her forehead, a sleepy little smile on her face as she held him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this scene was okay, I'm really self conscious about writing sex scenes lol. Thank you for reading this story, lots of love.


	4. Chapter 4

Sarah slowly opened her eyes with a yawn. She felt around subconsciously then frowned when she felt nothing.

She turned on the lights and sobbed in sadness.

He was gone.

"But… you said you would stay…" Tears gathered in her eyes.

Then she remembered her exact words. She had asked him to stay for a while, not until she woke up or anything like that. So technically, he didn't break his word or did anything wrong.

Besides, couldn't blame him. Who would want to stay with someone like her anyway?

She realized that, unfortunately, she hadn't had any alcohol from the night before. Well, if there was a time she needed some, it was now. She got up, wrapping a bathrobe around her naked body and went to the kitchen.

"Maybe it was revenge." She talked to herself, taking the bottle of wine and pouring it in a glass. "Or it was just a one night stand. That's what it was, wasn't it? He told me I was beautiful and whatever. Doesn't mean he wanted anything more from me. You can think someone is great without wanting them."

Sarah walked over to the couch after chugging way too much alcohol all at once. "I just want for people to not use me. Why is it that when I'm honest with guys, they just find it weird and go away or they take advantage of my feelings? This fucking hurts. I know I'm worth more than that. Fuck, why did I sleep with him?"

She took another swig, straight from the bottle this time. "Better yet, why am I even upset? He wasn't dishonest with me or anything. Can he even lie? He says he doesn't, but I thought that fae can't straight up lie. Who knows. I guess he doesn't owe me anything. Why do I feel this way? Why do I even care?"

She knew that it wasn't because of the things he did, the things he said.

It was because of how she felt about Jareth.

If it had been any other guy, she would have just had a fun, cute evening of ballroom dancing and hot sex. With Jareth, there were unanswered questions lingering from when they had met.

"He didn't even say goodbye. Maybe he knew I was crazy and left. I don't even want to be with myself, so why would he? I'm a fucking mess. It's for the best anyway." She went to the bathroom to use the toilet then crashed on her couch, sobbing into the cushions with a blanket around her, trying to pretend that someone was holding her as she shed her tears. If she could disappear at that moment, she would have.

* * *

Jareth hummed happily, setting a vase full of flowers on the kitchen table. He found Sarah's plates in a cupboard and set it for the both of them. He hoped she wasn't awake yet, it had taken him a while to finish his duties and find good food. He whistled to himself, feeling like he was on a cloud after last night. The way she cuddled next to him while she was sleeping made his heart soar. Maybe, just maybe, he had a chance with her after all.

He stopped when he heard a little sobbing when he stood behind her couch.

"Sarah?" He found her, curled up in a bathrobe. His heart broke when he saw the tears in her eyes.

She didn't seem to hear him, so he moved in front and held her hand. "Sarah, it's me."

She looked up, her eyes red and puffy. She looked surprised to see him. "You're here?"

Her voice was small, like a child's who could have barely hoped for happiness.

"Of course. I just left for a bit, I wasn't planning on being gone long - wait, have you been drinking?"

Her breath reeked of alcohol.

Sarah turned her head away in shame. Maybe she was just dreaming. Maybe he wasn't actually there.

"Sarah." He knelt down next to her. "What's wrong?"

She didn't say anything. She tossed her head down to avoid seeing his eyes. That was a mistake.

"Fuck." She got up, staggering.

Jareth caught her in his arms. "Sarah, what's going on?"

"I'm going to puke!" She pushed his arms away from her and ran to the bathroom. She closed the door behind her, not wanting him to come in. She threw the toilet seat up and dry heaved a few times. God, why did she drink without eating or having water?

Because she didn't lock it, Jareth slowly opened the door. When he saw that she was not naked and not screaming at him to leave, he carefully put a hand on her back and held her hair up.

Sarah hated, HATED when someone else saw her sick like this. It was gross. It was uncomfortable. It smelled bad. And it just made her want to just hide in an oubliette.

Jareth's hand moved to the back of her neck. A cooling sensation traveled up to her head, making her headache mostly go away, just like last night. She was still drunk but it wasn't as overwhelming.

Sarah clutched her stomach and threw up. It was not one of those short, quiet vomiting moments. It was loud and disgusting, and she was shaking. She gasped for air a few times before heaving and throwing up again.

All through it, she could barely hear Jareth whisper kind words to her as he rubbed her back. "It's alright, Sarah. It will pass."

She really would appreciate it any other time but right now she really did want to be alone. "Thank you but please. I don't want you in here right now."

Behind her, Jareth's face betrayed the heartbreak that he felt. "Very well, Precious. I will be outside, waiting."

He closed the door behind him. Jareth couldn't fathom why she was so drunk right now. Normally, if she desired something relating to him so strongly, he could feel it but her mind was closed off to him right now.

He didn't know why she was this way, but she needed help. And he would stay with her until she was better.

* * *

Sarah finished throwing up. She was tired but no longer felt the urge to empty her stomach. Especially since she had nothing in it now.

She hugged at her legs for a moment. She knew that he was on the other side. She didn't know what to think or what to say. She was just so… so sad. Maybe if she acted bad enough, he would leave.

Wait, why did she want him to leave?

Or did she want him to stay?

She got up and brushed her teeth. When she was done, she tried to brush her hair to give some sense of being neat. She walked out of the bathroom, finding Jareth on her couch, looking at her copy of Stardust by Neil Gaiman.

"Why are you here?" She blurted out. "Why did you come to me last night? And why did you leave and come back? I mean this morning."

She was repeating herself, her head still spinning. She realized that Jareth had glanced down at her body then straight back to her face very quickly.

"What?" She asked.

Then she felt a gust of coldness on her body.

Shit, her bathrobe had come undone! With shaking hands, Sarah tried to regain her modesty but she was too tired for this.

Without a word, Jareth got up and put his hands on hers. She was a bit nervous but he just retied her robe for her.

He didn't act like it was a big deal. He didn't embarrass her. He didn't hurt her. He didn't even tease her. He just made her feel comfortable even if she felt like an idiot.

She was so embarrassed that she started to go to her room, crying.

"Sarah, wait, you need food." He called after her.

"I'm fine." She crawled into her bed in a fetal position, forgetting to close her bedroom door.

Jareth didn't listen. He crawled in with her and held water to her lips. "Please drink."

Sarah grumbled, swearing a bit.

"Don't be stubborn." He said with a stern but kind voice. "Take a bite of food."

He put something to her lips. Sarah never tasted anything like it. It kind of reminded her of a taco but not. "That's really good."

"It's one of my favorite foods, and happens to be perfect for hangovers." He kept feeding her until she said she was done.

She snuggled into his chest, loving the feel of his loose shirt. Her fingers intertwined with his medallion, forgetting about how she wanted to distance herself from him. "This time you'll stay longer?"

Jareth kissed her forehead. "I will be here when you wake, Precious."

He kept on caressing her. "I will always be here for you when you need me."

* * *

A while later, Jareth felt Sarah jerk on his lap. She sat straight up, a bit alarmed.

"Oh, hey." She gathered her blankets around her. "I didn't know that you were going to stay. Thank you for taking care of me."

"I told you I would." He put the book he was reading down. Sarah realized that he was quite far through Stardust, the same book he had been observing earlier. "And you're welcome."

Sarah looked at him, unsure of what to say now.

Jareth said the answer to her unasked question out loud, then one he had been teasing her about last night. The one she had asked again when she got out of the bathroom.

"You wanted to know why I'm here." He told her. "It's because you wished for me."

Sarah stopped breathing for a moment. She didn't pull away from him but she did put a bit of space between him.

"I did no such thing." There was a hint of acid in her voice, angry at an accusation. "I've learned to be careful with I wished for. And I certainly would not wish for you to be here, of all places."

Jareth snorted at her behavior. "Not with your lips, Precious. You can say whatever you want, that doesn't meant that wishing will make anything come true." His voice softened. "It's the desires in your heart that called out to me. You had done so before, you know."

Sarah still thought this was crazy. "If I wished for you before, how come you never came before?"

"Just because you may have desired it, doesn't mean you thought through it." He said quietly. "I wanted you to say it out loud."

"So why now?" She asked. "Why last night?"

Jareth gave her a sad smile. "Because it was unbearably strong last night. And I thought, it was a public place. That way you would feel better with witnesses around. I have to admit that I got a bit tired of waiting for you to wish for me. And besides, what better day to come than the night before a new millennium, where things can start over? And a ball, no less."

Sarah rubbed her head, still tired but no longer feeling drunk or hungover. "I guess you're right. I did prefer seeing you there rather than in my house. Even if you were here with goblins, I would still be nervous. And just so you know, I don't often drink like that. In fact, I don't remember when I did drink so irresponsibly."

She grabbed a pillow and put it behind her, looking at him. "It's just… it's a lot. Being cheated on. Not being with my family. Being lonely during this time of year. A bit behind on my grad school stuff. Getting yelled at by superiors. I think I just reached my breaking point."

"As in me?" He asked quietly. His eyes showed the hurt from his heart. "Was I your breaking point?"

"Yes. I mean, no." She gathered her knees to her chest. "Not you yourself. I guess I was expecting last night to have been a one night stand."

Jareth visibly deflated. "Is that what you want?"

She thought about it for a bit. "No…"

"Then what do you mean?"

She let out a humorless laugh. "I guess I'm just scared. Why would anyone want me?"

Jareth put a hand up to stop her from talking. "Sarah-"

"It's true." She pushed his hand down. "Every nice guy I've dated has left. Every shitty guy stayed for whatever reason, be it their ego or whatever the fuck my most recent ex had issues with. Truthfully I still am not sure what his motivation was or reason for staying with me since we broke up so quickly and he lied the entire time he was confessing to me anyway. I don't think you're shitty or want to believe you are l so maybe you should go before I'm disappointed again."

Jareth rolled his eyes but there was humor in them. "I don't know why those 'good' guys didn't want you. But I do. I can be a shithead though. I'm surprised that you would think that I'm not considering our last encounter and the things you said to me."

Sarah pointed to her bathroom, where her mirror was. "My friends, the goblins... they all told me that you're a good king. That you do care, as snarky as you can be. You didn't come to see me either but why would I expect a goblin king to come and see me of all people?"

She gestured to the bed, laughing a bit. "Unless it's for sex."

Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to laugh. "You think I came to see you just for sex? I could do that with anyone."

She didn't doubt that. He was beautiful. "Why else? But what if you're doing this for revenge? To hurt me?"

Jareth stiffened. He looked very uncomfortable at her thinking that he would do that. "I can't deny that I was not happy about you winning, but no, I wouldn't use sex or an illusion of affection to plot some sick revenge plot. Besides, I seem to have have already accomplished that that considering how sad you were. If I wanted to trick you into thinking I cared, I wouldn't have come back. What I'm doing for you is out of sincerity, Sarah."

A bit of hope blossomed in Sarah's heart. Could this be? Could he be the someone that she had always wanted?

Jareth took her hand in his and tipped her chin up so she was looking in his eyes. "Because I want something real with you. Something long lasting."

Sarah wanted to believe him. She really did. But the years of dating and failed relationships have made her bitter. "Maybe you'll do this for a while and then break up with me when I think I'm secure. Happened to a friend of mine."

Jareth put his head in his hands. This wasn't going the way he wanted it to. He had a mind to fight her and tell her that if that's what she wanted to believe then she should go ahead. That once again, she wanted him to be the villain in her story, refusing to accept him as someone who was genuine.

But he couldn't. Because he knew that she really wasn't playing hard to get. That she was really hurting.

He slipped off the bed and knelt next to her.

Sarah watched him, not sure what he was doing but let him hold her hand.

"Is there anything I can do to prove that I mean what I say?" He pleaded with her. "Because I promise that if you give me a chance and god forbid, we separate, it won't be because of anything like that. I am many things but I'm not a man without honor."

Sarah gingerly put her hand on his face. She had a feeling that he was being honest. Then again, she wasn't sure if she should trust her gut feeling anymore, it seemed to not serve her well considering the past few guys. Even so, she said "I don't know. But I think I'll regret it if I don't take that chance. Because if always wonder. Why are you still here?"

"I already told you, you wished for me to be here." He turned his head, his lips pressing against her palm.

"No, not why you came in the first place," she clarified. "Why you're here now."

Jareth turned her wrist over and kissed the inside of it, nothing but adoration for her. "You know, Sarah. You always have. _For what no one knew, was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl_."

Being completely vulnerable was not his strong trait, but if Sarah was on the line, he would do anything. Especially when he had just seen how much he affected her.

Sarah was lost. "What? But that's in the book! That's not real. That's just some line-"

"Is it? Are you sure it's just some line?" He raised an eyebrow in a challenge.

Sarah got off the bed and went to her bookshelf. Flipping through the little red book, she tried to find the line.

It wasn't there.

Skimming through it, she realized that the line wasn't the only thing that was different. Nearly everything was. The King did not have feelings for the servant girl, nor did she for him. There was no ballroom scene, and the peach as an apple.

What the hell?

Jareth stood behind her. "See? It's not there. Think carefully, Sarah."

She did. She thought back in her memory. And in the distance, she could see her mother cuddling up next to her, reading out of the red book.

She remembered the plot.

Which was so different from her adventure. There was no Hoggle, no Ludo, no Sir Didymus, no doors or junkyard lady.

"I don't understand, how did I just forget?" She flipped through the book again.

Jareth came in front of her. "That book was an adventure written by a runner, who ran the labyrinth when my uncle was king. She lost, but she fancied the thought of winning.

"Sarah, we are connected. You knew deep in your heart that I loved you, and that I still do."

Sarah looked into his blue eyes, trying to see what he really meant.

After a while, she stopped looking at him.

She sat back down on her bed. "So what does love mean to you?"

He had to restrain himself from sighing in relief that she wasn't calling him a liar or kicking him out. "It means that I want you to be happy. I was selfish when we met. You were too young, yes. But I would have waited if you asked. Age translates differently with my kind."

Sarah flipped through the pages of the book. "I said no to you because besides being young and the fact that you were being a bone-headed jerk,"

She looked at him to see his reaction. The corners of his lips twitched in amusement, so she assumed that she was okay.

"I didn't know if your offer was serious. In that dance, you were with other women. And then you were definitely manipulative near the end. How was I supposed to know if you were for real?"

Jareth nodded. "I know. That's why I wanted you to call me. To ask yourself. I was afraid that you would think I was tricking you again if I came out of nowhere."

"Then why not say that last night?"

He flinched a little. "Because if you had wanted a one night stand... if that's was all you would give me, I would have taken anything. I didn't want to pressure you. It's what you would do for someone you love, no? For them to decide if it's really worth it to be with you."

Sarah stood up, pacing. "What if I never called for you? What if I'm at the alter with some other man?"

Jareth put his arms on her shoulders. "Then for you, I would walk you down the isle if you had asked me to. Because that's what love means."

Sarah threw herself in his arms. She sobbed. "Oh my god, you do love me."

How could he not, if he was willing to let her be happy without or without him?

Jareth held her as if she was life itself.

"But why did you love me in the first place? You don't even know me. I don't even really know you, aside from the stuff the goblins and other creatures tell me." She looked up at him.

Jareth curled a loose strand of hair lovingly behind her ear. "Sarah, sometimes emotions don't have logic. I don't know why I fell for you, but all I know is that I have. The important thing is what I will do now that I know."

"And what will you do, Jareth?" She pressed her cheek against his chest.

"I will love you. I will go as slow as you'd like, to prove forever that I am yours if you allow me to. If you would grant me that honor, I will make you my queen."

Sarah pulled back a little, holding his hands. "Is that possible? What about my life here?"

He squeezed her hands. "You would have to give that up, but you are welcome to visit as much as you'd like. To see your loved ones. You don't have to give them up. You would become one of us, living forever."

Sarah nodded slowly. "I just… my own feelings…"

"I think you know how you feel, Sarah." He put a hand above her heart. "Search your feelings. You know what's true."

"Pretty sure that's a Star Wars quote." She giggled.

Jareth interlocked his fingers behind her back. "Yes, well, Star Wars is based off of many religions and thoughts of magic and emotions. I suppose you can say that the Jedi are inspired after my own kind."

She put a hand on his chest and closed her eyes and thought about him. About how kind he was to her right now. How he had sang the most loving song to her, twice now. Of how, while she was a strong and independent woman, that her heart always felt a bit off with anyone else.

Only last night did she start to feel whole again.

"Is it possible for me to have loved you all this time?" She asked quietly. "Or if not love, then it's something like it."

"Yes." He hugged her close. "I knew that you felt something for me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come back with food and flowers the way I did."

Sarah laughed, just absolutely adored being with him.

It felt really quick. Just over a month ago, she had broken up with a cheating ex. Could she be with Jareth now?

But what she did know was that she felt comfortable with Jareth. That

"Well, what happens now?"

Jareth grinned. "Well, what you like to have happen?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter dealt with a lot of emotions. A lot of sadness and insecurities. Lots of talking. It has come from a lot of my own experiences and worries but I did try to fit it into Jareth and Sarah as best I could. If you're still here, thank you. If you liked this story, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it in a review, even as a guest.
> 
> At the time of writing this, these feelings were very much me pouring my soul out, trying to heal from the pain of dishonesty and infidelity. I had been in a three year relationship, the most serious one that I had been in. This story is a love letter to myself, to not give up hope.And that even if I don't find love myself, that at least to remind myself that it exists. That it's real. That's pure and in its way, very holy. So this was for myself, but I hope it's a love letter to anyone who has ever doubted themselves as someone worthy of being loved. You are absolutely worthy of it.
> 
> I don't write self inserts, and this certainly wasn't exactly that, but it is the closest that I've come to writing said self insert lol. It was more of "What if Sarah had this happen to her?" kind of thing. I hadn't planned on publishing it, but when I did, I changed the story to fit Jareth and Sarah, to be as true to their personalities as I could.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the end notes, there's this huge AN on what actually happened to me irl, it was written when I first broke up with said ex so it's kind of, idk, personal, I suppose, but it's there anyway. Thanks for reading this story and lots of love to my labyrinth fandom family!

Sarah held his face with both of her hands. "How about we start with a kiss?"

She tip toed up to capture his bottom lip with her lips, slowly sucking them in.

Jareth dipped his head down, eagerly kissing her too. When he had kissed her last night, it was extremely lustful. Something to fulfill a carnal need.

This one was different. It still absolutely had lust, but this was a need that was beyond that. It was a need to join their souls together. To fill the space between their hearts with the utmost love.

Sarah pulled him to the bed with her, falling backwards with him on top.

The only thing separating their bodies were her thin bathrobe and the thin fabric of his clothing.

She traced up to his pointy ears, revealing themselves when his large hair moved out of the way. She felt him growl. "Sarah…"

She sat up and kissed his lips again. Her eyes were sparkling. "I want you so much. Please, make love with me."

Jareth would not, could not say no to her. "My sweet Sarah. Nothing would make me happier."

They spent a few minutes just kissing lips softly. There was something so intimate, so bonding about simple kissing.

Jareth pushed Sarah a little, getting her on her back again. She complied, still kissing him as she tugged on his shirt. He pulled it off and resumed kissing her.

Sarah really paid attention to him, much more than last night. Last night, she was burning up in passion. Right now, she was focused on how he felt with her. She traced her fingers down his smooth skin, amazed at how someone could be so perfect.

Jareth kissed down her neck, untying her robe slowly. She opened up for him, letting him see her. She moaned as he traced his fingers down her body. He replaced his fingers with his lips, whispering words of adoration. Just completely, wholly, adoring her. He traveled from her neck, down her chest, kissing all around her breasts before taking in each nipple into his lips.

"Oh!" Sarah held his head to her chest. "Jareth!"

He just smiled as he kept on pleasing her, switching to the other side, doing the same. When he was done, he licked and kissed his way down her stomach and hips to her thighs. His face was level to her center his eyes hungry and his hands lovingly caressing her thighs.

"I've been dying to taste you since last night, my Love."

And he dove in, his lips sealing around that little sensitive nub that made her back arch. He absolutely had a talented mouth, knowing to not go too hard but not too soft either. He put in just the right pressure, the right smooth movements for her to feel good.

Sarah became more and more aroused. Her body felt weaker as she climbed closer to orgasm. Jareth delightfully was taking in all of her.

He pushed her over the edge. Sarah shuddered and melted into her bed. He cleaned her with his tongue then climbed up her body. "You tasted wonderful."

"Oh my god, I'm not sure if I can move." Sarah's eyes were dazed and her whole body was flushed.

Jareth chuckled and leaned into her face, capturing her lips with love. Sarah kissed back. All the pent up passion, all the love, all the hopes and dreams were shared in that kiss.

"I love you." She said when she pulled away. "Maybe I shouldn't have said it so quickly, but I do."

Her feelings for him were so incredibly strong. Stronger than she had ever felt for anyone else, now that she allowed herself to feel what was always inside her heart.

Jareth laid on top of her, but kept his arms on the bed to prop himself up so that his entire weight wasn't pushing down on her. He didn't want to hurt her. He rubbed his nose with hers affectionately.

"Are you sure that you didn't say that for the sex?" He grinned, a mischievous gleam in his eye.

Sarah stuck her tongue out tried to hit him with her pillow teasingly. Jareth roared with laughter and grabbed her, moving her so that she was on top.

"I thought you were going to say something amazing and romantic. You little shit!" She tried to sound annoyed but she just laughed as he kissed all over her face.

"Just thought we needed a light moment." He put his hands on her hips, extremely patient as he was rock hard against her thigh. "If you want me to give you the moon, I will do what I can."

"I thought you moved the stars for no one." She said, tracing invisible patterns on his chest.

"That is true. But for you, I would leave my love between them."

He sat up, kissing her again, holding her on his lap.

"You still have pants on." She complained. "And I'm totally naked. Seems hardly fair."

"Oh? So what are you going to do to remedy that?" He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her.

Sarah slipped her hands to grab the waistband of his pants and they came off.

She grabbed his erection, pumping up it and down as she kissed him. They were doing so much kissing, and her whole being was loving it.

Jareth was too. After a bit, however, he grabbed her upper arms, thought he did so gently. "Sarah, please," He rasped. "I can't hold on much longer. Not with you. I need you."

Indeed, she could feel him trembling. He was doing his best to not launch at her. For that, she was grateful that he cared so much to let her know.

Enough teasing. Still on his lap, Sarah pushed him inside of her, not taking her eyes off of his. She wrapped her legs around him, still in that sitting position. It took all of her to not roll her eyes into the back of her head in ecstasy.

"Oh my god." She breathed.

"You are incredible, Precious." Jareth started to move in and out of her. "And very addicting."

Sarah held onto him as they moved together. There was lots of moaning, yelling, words of adoration and love, scratches and bruises being made.

"I'm going to… oh, Jareth!" Sarah started to move in a frenzy.

Jareth moved harder and faster than she was. His control snapped. He needed to find his release and he needed her to reach it too. He felt a warm rush of fluids from her as her inner walls grasped him, forcing him to explode inside of her.

When they came down from their high, Jareth made sure to hold her tight. "My beautiful, Precious, amazing love… My Sarah.."

Sarah ran her hands in his hair. "I'm glad that I could be with you today. There's no one else I'd rather be with."

They cleaned up and laid in the bed. "Jareth, I know that I love you but…"

She didn't want to hurt his feelings with what she was going to say.

Jareth put his hand on her lower back. He was afraid of what she would say, but if she felt any hesitation, he needed to know. "What is it, love?"

She took his free hand in hers. "Can we still take this slow? I just want to be sure, you know? I know that I love you, that you love me, but I just don't want to rush into anything."

"There is no time limit for us." He poked her nose making her smile. "What do you mean by taking it slow?"

"I mean, I don't mind going to your world to visit," She said quietly. "If you want I mean. You can visit me here too. I would like to finish my PhD, that was so freaking hard to do and I have only a few years left. And for you to meet my family. But for me to go down there, to get married, I want to really prove that I'm ready. For my sake, the kingdom, and yours. I want to feel as comfortable as one can be."

Jareth put his arm around her. "Love, you thinking about this carefully has proven that you are more than worthy of being a queen, by my side or otherwise. You are the Champion, my equal. I am perfectly fine by that."

They spent the next few minutes kissing again, not getting enough of each other.

"I could do this forever." Jareth said after a kiss.

"That's a long, long time. You sure you're up for that with me?" She him.

"Forever is truly not that long at all, you'll see." He assured her.

Sarah got up. "Are you busy today? I was thinking that maybe if you're not… then we can go out to eat, if there's a place that's opened anyway. Or at least we can go for a walk. And just get to know each other better. I do have to go to the lab today but I'll be there for an hour, two at the most."

"I think that sounds wonderful." His eyes shined. He never expected her to be so open like this with him, to trust him like so. He waved his hand and the vase full of flowers that he had left on her dining table was in his hand. "I was actually planning on giving you breakfast when you woke. I brought these for you as well, by the way."

**I'll paint you mornings of gold…**

"They're beautiful, thank you." She touched the cute little petals of the purple lilacs. They were so delicate and soft. "I love little flowers like these with such soft colors."

Jareth looked down shyly. "They're purple lilacs. Their symbolic meaning is love at first sight. I thought it fit my feelings for you. As the World Falls down, the song that you heard when we danced both times… I wrote it for the person who would capture my heart. You were the first one to have heard it. I hope that you can one day feel the same things for me. To trust me that I will be there for you when the world falls."

Aww. Sarah had a weakness for sensitive men. Who knew that the King of the Goblins had such a soft spot?

Well, he must have if he wrote such a heartfelt song for someone.

Sarah set the vase down and pulled him to her. "I trust you, Jareth. And thank you, from the bottom of my heart for listening to me and being patient with me."

He could have burst into tears right then. He knew that saying that she trusted him meant more than saying that she loved him. Love was something that sometimes cannot be controlled, but trust? That was a choice. A step of faith. He vowed to never let her down.

She kissed his cheek. "Now come on, we're both all gross and sweaty. Let's take a shower together."

Jareth purred. "Mmm, you'll hear no objections from me."

Sarah laughed, grabbing his hand and closed the bathroom door with them both in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had this sort of extended dialogue for them but I didn't want to add it into the story because it felt like it was too much in a short story, so here's what it would have contained:
> 
> -Jareth says that he had courted women during those 13 years. Because I don't like the idea of him pining away necessarily. I have written where he, by choice, doesn't get into relationships but it's not because of him waiting for Sarah. He just doesn't want to. So this story, he's tried to date other women before and some were great, just not a good fit for him.
> 
> -Sarah has talked more about her exes, and reveals that she doesn't fall in love often. But when she does, it's intense.
> 
> -I wanted to add something like he tells her that her cheating ex was dumb because aside from being a stupid coward who didn't give her respect, he missed the chance on having a true love with someone who genuinely loves him with all her heart. To which Sarah responds something like "no, not my whole heart. You always had a part of it, I just didn't realize it." (I kinda already said this in other dialogue so maybe I'll save this for another story).
> 
> -and they recognize that both of them may have been happy without the other, but it's clear that they would be happier together than not.
> 
> I just felt like it was too much stuff for a story where they meet almost randomly, have sex, and profess their love for each other. Lol. I've never been good at writing love at first sight stories, mostly because I feel like that's not something I can truly relate to. I think too much and I question things too much, and I feel like Sarah would too.
> 
> And for my final note, I just want to say thank you for taking the time to read this. I was feeling so much pain from my break up, it was 3 years. I was a bit naive, maybe a bit rash and I fell too fast, but I can honestly say that any mistakes I've made were ones made out of inexperience. None of them were made out of selfishness or with the intent to hurt others. I sincerely don't think that my ex was trying to hurt me, but rather, he was selfish and just didn't really care about hurting my feelings. Prior to my most recent ex, I went on dates with a lot of awesome guys but it just didn't work out. I still have fond memories, but we were never exclusive. I think it was important for me to not just blame my ex for everything, I definitely had flaws too, and I'm learning. He has changed me for the better in many ways but unfortunately, I wish that he had just broken up with me instead of this. I was considering marrying him too. Oh and if you're wondering, the other woman that he was with had no idea that he was dating me and when she found out, she's choosing to stay with him and they're still together as far as I know.
> 
> So this story was a love letter to myself. It was me basically pleading and saying "please please please don't hate yourself. Don't give up on thinking that you're worthy of being treated well because everyone should be treated well, not just you. Don't retreat into that darkness that you once did when you were barely 19. Know that you are worthy of love, whether it's romantic or otherwise. Just try to keep being a better person. And if someone comes, give him a chance. Be sincere and tell him how you feel but remember that he's not your exes." And truly, I have no idea if I'll find someone to love romantically. I want it. I dream of it. But I truly won't expect it. If it comes, I won't fight it but if I hope too much, it hurts too much.
> 
> Anyway, if you're still here and reading this giant message, I hope that you liked this story. It felt cathartic for me to write it because even if I don't find my Jareth, at least I can smile at the thought of Sarah finding it. And for those who have experienced infidelity, I hope that this can be a healing story for you. May you have the most wonderful year and life, that you can find love for yourself. Here's to a better year, in hopes that 2021 is better than 2020 was!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay seriously you HAVE to google "university of Washington Suzzallo Library." And maybe add in something like "reading room" and "grand stair case." This is the university I attend and it's freaking awesome to have such a lovely library. Unfortunately, that means lots of tourists so it's not as great as it could be except for school breaks and summer term. But people have taken wedding/engagement/graduation/maternity photos there. Which I find hilarious as I went to school there but hey, it is beautiful!
> 
> And yes there will be a sex scene. Or two. We'll see.
> 
> When I wrote this last year, I figured that since we are about to hit a new decade, that this story would take us back 20 years (at the time of writing this). What better day for Sarah to reconnect with Jareth than the start of a new millennium?
> 
> Clearly, 2020 has been a shitshow so it didn't exactly start as the amazing decade that we hoped. Let's hope that 2021 and the rest of the decade will be better!


End file.
